We have been advised of the sad news that Honorary Member Roy Gillham has passed away at the age of 98.
Roy played a pivotal and hugely important part in the expansion of Porsche Club throughout the 1980s and 1990s and helped to bring Porsche Club into the digital age.
Roy’s involvement with Porsches began much earlier however when he worked for the Coal Board in Nottingham in the early 1960s and a colleague introduced him to VW Beetles and, later, to Porsche 356s. These introductions sparked a passion for both air-cooled marques and a succession of Beetles, Camper Vans, 911s, 356s and a 912 and 914 followed.
After relocating to Pinner in 1964, Roy would often meet with fellow Porsche enthusiasts at The Coach and Horses pub on Kew Green. The Club Kew Green group included many members who would become well known in Porsche Club and the wider Porsche world – personalities such as John Piper, Bryan Walls, Edgar Valentine, Eric Struder, Alex Batanero and Chris Branston met frequently and also kept in contact with founding Porsche Club members Jeff May, Bill Goodman and Barry Dukes.
As Porsche Club expanded Roy volunteered to look after the Club’s membership records and subsequently managed the membership card system, member application forms and membership renewals. Roy’s daughter Lesley fondly recalls family and friends around this time being co-opted for an almost party-like membership renewal envelope stuffing event around the family dining table.
After taking early retirement in 1983, Roy and family moved to Northleach in the Cotswolds, a move that was instrumental in another huge Club milestone. As the Club expanded it was apparent that a ‘proper’ office was needed to accommodate the ever-expanding Club records and organisation. A small, two-roomed property called Ayton House was found in Northleach and a permanent member of staff put in place along with an early computer system that Roy had had installed after seeing a similar one in operation with the Coal Board.
The creation of a permanent office in Northleach was, according to Roy, “the ‘pivotal point’ of the growing-up process” of Porsche Club and it certainly contributed to the creation of nation-wide Porsche Club as we know it now and was a precursor to the current Clubhouse located in nearby Moreton-in-Marsh.
Roy was a hands-on, ‘nuts and bolts’ man who had no ambition to be Club Chairman, but he did hold a number of important functions within Porsche Club – as well as being awarded Honorary Membership in 1993 he was, at various times, the Club’s Office Manager, its Membership Manager, a Board Director and its Company Director - undeniably, Roy made a huge contribution to Porsche Club and helped create some of the most significant milestones in its history.
Roy is survived by his wife Angela, daughters Lesley and Sally, grandchildren and great grandchild.
Roy Gillham
3 May 1927 – 12 January 2026
Porsche Post May 2007 Roy Gillham article